Q: Can't find ebrake release
My car made a smell. Then my lady drove it to work. She said the smell is still there and the anti-lock brake light (only) came on. I asked a friend who said the emergency brake may have been slightly pushed. When she got to work, she pushed the ebrake to see how to disengage it, but now it's just stuck engaged. I can't get to the car, but I'd like to be able to tell her what to do for her way home. Any ideas?
My car has an automatic transmission.
Hello. On this particular vehicle the e-brake will not engage the standard way of pushing it all the way to the floor after it is engaged to make it release. There will be a little lever to the left of the dashboard by the kneew area with a P on it in which the lever is pulled to release the parking brake. If pulling the lever does not release the parking brake there is likely damage to the rear brake system that must be inspected by technician. When she smelled the aroma of brakes it was likely a sign that the brakes were sticking which created extreme heat and caused a brake component to be locked in place. It is likely the rear brakes became overheated and the emergency brake sticking was either a cause or effect. A bad wheel cylinder or caliper will usually be root cause of brake system overheating. You may benefit from having one of our technicians diagnose and repair the vehicle for you. You can choose a technician which will travel to the vehicles location here https://www.yourmechanic.com
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